My husband and I have a '92 Jaguar XJ6 3.2 with twin headlamps. These always have been very poor on dipped beam. We have read on the forum about brighter bulbs, but what other options are there? The headlamps pass the MoT alignment test but appear to point at the ground too much but the garage say they are correctly adjusted. Main beam is fine. It is getting to the point where we do not like driving at night on unlit roads - especially as everybody elses lamps seem to dazzle. Neither of us are technically minded so please keep the answers simple! We thoroughly enjoy the Telegraph column!
Many thanks
Kathleen Shaw
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I adjust my headlamps so that I can see the limit of their shine at the level of the registration plate of the car infront, following in a 30 limit at a distance measured by the 2 sec rule ( you can say," two thousand and one thousand and" before you reach a point that that passed as you started saying the aforementioned phrase!! Although my father has only jsut got rid of his Hreg 3.2 xj6 I can't remember how you adjust the headlights. If you have self levelling suspension is the rear of the car riding too high? I seem to remember there is no electric adjust in the cabin so there must be a bolt on the headlamp assembly under the bonnet that you can play with (I haven't the haynes manual to hand so I can't help futher).
As far as your description of the problem goes stronger bulbs aren't going to help, My father had standard bulbs and lights and I reckon on main beam you could strip paint, they were so effective!! You need to work out how to raise the beam.
Hope this helps!!
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You could try halfords halogen or the xenon bulbs. They are brighter and should give a more defined beam. My headlights on my old car always felt like they were pointing at the ground when they were correctly aligned but fitting xenons extended the beam just a bit further so it was a lot easier to drive at night. It made the difference between having to drive at 40-45 on twisty dual carriageways feeling like I was guessing where the road was to being able to drive between 50 & 55 being able to see the edges of the road clearly on the same road. Straight dual carriageways were a bit of guess work at 60mph before but were ok for 70 afterwards. Also make sure that the lights and your windscreen are kept spotless as I found it made a great deal of difference.
If the brighter bulbs don't help perhaps the only solution is a set of night vision goggles - you might get some very odd looks from other drivers though!
teabelly
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If tempted to buy replacements, be wary of Halfords own.
In their tests, Auto Express found several illegal examples.
checkout the tests on Auto Express - Product Tests.
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In my experience, some cars are just destined never to have decent headlights. Are your reflectors tarnished or dirty? How about the inside of the lenses? It might just be that the bulbs fitted to your Jag are several years old, they tend to get gradually dimmer with age and use. A straight replacement pair of bulbs might give you more of an improvement per £ than any of the alternatives suggested here.
My friend's Ford Ka headlights are, so she tells me, "like two candles in the mist". Even with xenon bulbs and aiming the lights correctly in a garage block at night, they are now merely adequate.
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